Brickmania Blog

About Bruno – 28 cm SK L/40 Railway Gun

Sometimes known as the Amiens Gun, the 28cm SK L/40 Railway Gun “Bruno” was produced by Germany within a series of monstrous artillery weapons. The advent of the railway gun was first seen during the American Civil War with the Confederacy deploying a 32-pound gun at Savage Station in June 1862.

As the First World War continued, each army continued to develop larger artillery pieces, eventually mounting naval guns on railway cars. These huge weapons often had a range of twenty miles or more, making them both formidable weapons and top priority targets for opposing armies. This tradition continued into the Second World War.

There were six 28cm railway guns produced for the German Army. One of the guns was involved in the Battle of Amiens, used to shell the city of Amiens during the summer of 1918. The gun was captured by the Australians during the Battle of Harbonnieres, a massive offensive by the Allies on August 8, 1918. The gun was brought back to Australia as a war trophy and is on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Specifications:

• Years deployed: 1917-18
• Number produced: 6
• Range: 18,000 m (59055 ft)

Additional information about this Brickmania custom building kit:

The Bruno – 28 cm SK L/40 Railway Gun kit comes with the following features

• Elevating gun
• Five straight LEGO® track segments
• Posable jacks
• Custom-printed minifigure
• Shell-loading crane
• Gun breech
• Collapsible railings
• Turntable for optional traverse function

All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition LEGO bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes complete printed building instructions and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited-edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

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The Persian Gulf War followed the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait with a short conflict consisting of a U.S.-led coalition. Beginning in 1991, major military operations were short-lived as the Iraqi military was not prepared for the swiftness and precision of coalition forces. Although the conflict ended quickly, the failure to remove Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein from power would later result in the Second Gulf War of 2003.

The kits in this book are selected to give the builder a historical view of Operation Desert Storm. They depict modern military hardware, providing the builder with an authentic model that is finely detailed and enjoyable to build.

Each build includes full-color, step-by-step instructions for building 14 Desert Storm models.

Bricks in the Sand Instructions

Instructions included in this volume are:

• BRDM-2
• BMP-1
• T-72 “Ural”
• DPV
• M923 Truck
• M198 155mm Howitzer
• Avenger AN/TWQ-1 HMMWV
• M1025 HMMWV
• V-150 Commando
• M106 Mortar Carrier
• LAV-25
• M2/M3 Bradley
• AH-1W Super Cobra
• AMX-30

Bonus Extras:

• Printed on heavy-weight glossy paper with a special lay-flat spiral binding
• Also included is a vinyl sticker sheet with vehicle markings, insignia, and uniforms for 28 figures
• Each model includes a parts list to help locate all of the parts needed to build your model
• Beautiful full-color photographs throughout the book, filled with ideas for displaying your models

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This WWII StuG Commander features exclusive custom-printed artwork designed by Lando! Designed to be paired with our classic StuG tanks or added to your collection and MOCs, these figures feature premium 360 degree printing and artwork.

LEGO and the LEGO Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or these products.

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Notorious for their brute force and extreme training, Brickmania’s Modern Russian Spetsnaz execute a wide array of special force operations.

This Brickmania™ exclusive minifigure features artwork based on the Smersh AK/VOG Tactical Vest, Gorka-3 Combat Uniform, BTK Group Combat Boots, and VX600 Radio.

Additionally, this figure uses only genuine LEGO® and BrickArms® elements with custom printing done in house at Brickmania’s HQ in Minneapolis, MN.

This Modern Russian Spetsnaz V2 features exclusive custom-printed artwork designed by Lando.

LEGO and the LEGO Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or these products.

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About the Renault FT – WWI French Light Tank:

The first tanks were developed during World War I in response to the bloody stalemate on the Western Front. Although small compared to future tanks, the Renault FT was deployed as a breakthrough and exploitation vehicle, equipped with either a low-velocity 37mm cannon or two machine guns. Its two-man crew consisted of a driver and tank commander, who doubled as the tank’s gunner.

Over 3,000 were built for service on the Western Front. A copy of the Renault was manufactured in the USA under license and was standardized as the M1917. The American version can be easily distinguished by the location of the exhaust pipe to the left side of the hull, where the original French version had the exhaust pipe located on the right. The Renault FT has the distinction of setting the pattern for future tank development: fully tracked vehicle with engine located in the rear and a single fully-rotating turret.

Specifications:

• Crew: 2
• Engine: Renault four-cylinder gasoline 35 HP
• Speed: 5 mph (7.7 km/h)
• Range: 22 miles (35 km)
• Armaments: 37mm main cannon or two machine guns

Additional information about this Brickmania custom building kit:

The Renault FT – WWI French Light Tank comes with the following features

• Fully articulated Brickmania Track Links™
• Fully rotating turret with elevating main gun
• WWI camouflage pattern features brown, tan and olive color theme
• Includes one Custom-printed French Tanker minifigure
• 1/35 scale to match other Brickmania models
• Includes 217 genuine new-condition LEGO®, Brickmania and BrickArms elements
• Sophomore Skill Level (2-4 years of experience with LEGO is recommended)

All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition LEGO bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes complete printed building instructions and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited-edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

Click here to get yours!

About the Panzer IV Ausf G – German Medium Tank:

In combat, few German tanks saw as much action as the Panzer IV. While the Panther and Tiger often grab the attention of history enthusiasts, the Panzer IV’s development and participation in World War II is unrivaled. The chassis for the Panzer IV served as the base for over a dozen different models outside of its own development, including tank destroyers, command vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and anti-aircraft guns. Developed in 1937 as part of Germany’s rearmament efforts, the Panzer IV participated in the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939.

The first Panzer IVs were designed as infantry support vehicles. Armed with a short 7.5cm KwK, the tank excelled against infantry and fortifications. It proved extremely effective during blitzkrieg, forcing the French to surrender in summer 1940.

As the short barrel proved ineffective against enemy armor in Russia and North Africa, the Ausf G (sometimes referred to as the F2) variant was the first Panzer IV to be equipped with the longer, high velocity 7.5cm main cannon. This gun allowed the Panzer IV to engage other medium tanks such as the Sherman and T-34. The upgrade helped make the Panzer IV a top contender for the duration of the war until 1945.

Specifications:

• Crew: 5
• Armaments: 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/43 gun, MG34 machine gun
• Engine: Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 gasoline
• Top Speed: 26 mph (42 km/h)
• Max Range: 130 mi (210 km)
• Production: 1,700 (1942–1943)

Features:

• Fully-articulating Brickmania Track Links™
• Fully-rotating turret with posable main gun
• Three opening hatches on the turret
• Custom-printed Panzer Commander minifigure
• BrickArms® MG34
• 1/35th scale to match other Brickmania models

All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition LEGO bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes complete printed building instructions and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited-edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

Check it out!